<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Spy Craft by cordeliadelayne</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29340186">Spy Craft</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne'>cordeliadelayne</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Modesty Blaise - Peter O'Donnell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Violence, Community: primeval_denial, Competency, Established Relationship, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:27:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>984</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29340186</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Once again, Modesty and Willie step in to help Sir Gerald.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jack Fraser/Gerald Tarrant</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Spy Craft</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/fredbassett/gifts">fredbassett</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the lovely fredbassett's primeval_denial stocking. Uses the prompt “one misty, moisty morning”.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Modesty stood in the doorway in a dark blue dress with a slit that went all the way up her legs to her belly button and left little to the imagination. Sir Gerald Tarrant thought that the expression on her face meant she was impressed, but it flittered away almost as soon as it arrived, replaced by a business ready hardiness that was more familiar.</p><p>The man on the ground groaned and Modesty pushed a stiletto heel into his groin.</p><p>“Everything all right, Princess?” Willie Garvin asked, coming into the room with his dinner jacket torn and some dark liquid on his white shirt.</p><p>“Sir Gerald took care of it,” she said, twisting her foot until the man below her crumpled into silence.</p><p>Garvin raised an eyebrow and gave Tarrant the same once over that Tarrant had given him on seeing him dressed up to the nines as Modesty's companion for the evening. Tarrant hadn't wanted to bring Modesty and Garvin in to this mess but a senior civil servant selling secrets to the Russians had necessitated some quick action. That the action was taking place at a grand house in Hampshire rented to the Russian ambassador by the Prime Minister was an unfortunate complication.</p><p>The satisfaction he'd felt slamming a drinks tray into the spy disguised as a waiter was starting to turn into the cold wash of adrenaline leaving his body.</p><p>“We should leave,” Modesty said, taking Tarrant by the elbow and leading the way out of the room. “Willie...”</p><p>“Already on it,” Garvin replied, reaching down and dragging the unconscious man over to the bathroom.</p><p>“Thank you,” Tarrant said, quietly, leaning imperceptibly on Modesty's arm. “Bit out of practice.”</p><p>Modesty smiled then grimaced as one of the Russian ambassador's bodyguards came hurtling towards them. Modesty pushed Tarrant behind her and launched herself at the bodyguard before he could get his weapon out of its holster. She headbutted the man and had him falling back against the banister then ripped the sash of her dress off and used it to wrap around the man, keeping her knees pressed against his groin as she strangled him and then flipped him over the banister so he was hanging by his neck. He made a gurgling sound as the life ebbed out of him, then fell silent.</p><p>“I'm not sure this is going to look like a burglary any more,” Tarrant said, feeling that the obvious needed to be stated.</p><p>“Willie will take care of it,” Modesty reassured him. “Let's go.”</p><p>Tarrant followed her carefully down the stairs into the hallway and then down the back stairs into the servant's area. The staff had retired some time ago so it was easy for them to move through the kitchen and then out of the back door.</p><p>Modesty motioned for Tarrant to stop and he did so, blinking at the sunlight struggling to reveal itself through the morning mist. According to the original plan he was supposed to have left the building by now but had been detained by the French ambassador, another guest, on a matter of grave importance to both their nations. He had no idea how Modesty and Garvin had planned to get away and was starting to feel culpable for them having to change their plans.</p><p>Before he did anything so foolish as apologise to Modesty (he knew it would never occur to her to blame him) the quiet sound of a car engine filtered through the mist.</p><p>“Stay,” Modesty said and Tarrant did as he was told.</p><p>“We ready?” Garvin said, appearing beside Tarrant and causing the older man to jump rather embarrassingly high. Garvin didn't so much as crack a smile.</p><p>“I believe so,” Tarrant said.</p><p>Modesty whistled from somewhere in the mist and Garvin took Tarrant's elbow and drew him towards the car for which he was inordinately grateful; he had no idea how Garvin or Modesty were managing to navigate their way through the pea soup.</p><p>“Quiet and steady does it,” Gavin said, slipping into the passenger seat. Modesty put on Tarrant's seatbelt for him and slid into the backseat next to him.</p><p>“Right,” a familiar voice said in the driver's seat. Tarrant blinked. He deliberately hadn't told Jack Fraser what he had arranged with Modesty and Garvin in order to give him plausible deniability, it was therefore something of a shock to the system to see him driving their getaway car.</p><p>“Jack was worried,” Modesty said, quietly, in Tarrant's ear. Tarrant nodded in acknowledgement but kept his gaze carefully on the back of Fraser's neck.</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Rather then head to their respective homes the four of them checked into suites at the Ritz. Modesty and Garvin had adjoining rooms, as did Fraser and Tarrant. Garvin made them all drinks and they sat and toasted a successful mission before heading off to decompress as best they could.</p><p>Tarrant was just falling asleep in the bath when there was a knock on the door and before he could stay anything Jack Fraser was walking in, dressed only in a fluffy hotel bathrobe.</p><p>“May I?” Fraser asked, sitting down on the edge of the bath. Tarrant watched him silently as Fraser trailed a finger in the now lukewarm water.</p><p>Tarrant, who had been ignoring the pull of Fraser for a long time now, felt turned inside out by the events of the day.</p><p>“You'll get cold,” Fraser said after a moment as Tarrant remained silent.</p><p>“Warm me up?” Tarrant suggested after a long pause.</p><p>Fraser seemed surprised, then pleased and went to fetch a towel while Tarrant slowly got out of the bath. Fraser returned, wrapped Tarrant in the towel and pressed himself very close before slowly rubbing Tarrant dry.</p><p>“Bed?” Fraser asked quietly.</p><p>“Bed,” Tarrant agreed, and this time, taking the initiative, gently steered Fraser towards the large four poster that dominated the room.</p><p>They didn't leave for several days.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>